Krzysztof Hołowczyc‘s BMW X3 has served as his trusty steed for over a decade, however he thinks it could be time to place it out to pasture. Concurrently, he isn’t ruling out taking a while away from his profitable cross-country rally profession to return to his roots in conventional rally, notably within the WRC Masters.
His hopes of defending his Baja Poland victory had been dashed by an engine failure through the first stage on Saturday. Talking with media following his retirement, he defined that he overdrove his automotive past its limits. The 2009 BMW X3 is already so outdated that he remarked “in a number of years will likely be a automotive you can put yellow numbers on and begin within the Dakar Traditional.”
Whereas the T1.1 is definitely nonetheless fast, having lifted him to the 2023 FIA European Baja Cup championship, he famous it’s roughly 1.8 kilometres per second slower than top-of-the-line autos like these within the T1+ subcategory. He had gained the 2023 Baja Poland in a Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus, a T1+ automotive.
“I’m driving 100% as a result of I really feel that I can compete even with a weaker automotive,” Hołowczyc defined. “Sadly, I drove it greater than 100% and there have been unlucky results.”
Whereas his feedback recommend he’s open to switching to extra highly effective equipment, Hołowczyc is definitely taking a look at probably stepping away from cross-country rally totally, at the very least for a quick sabbatical. Throughout this stretch, the 62-year-old would like to pursue rallying in WRC Masters, which is reserved for drivers over fifty years of age.
“I’m nonetheless quick and that makes me very pleased, as a result of every time I am going anyplace, I’m racing for one thing large,” he continued. “I gained’t speak about successful as a result of if I am going, for instance, to WRC rallies, I gained’t say that I’m racing on my own. They got here up with such a phenomenal class in WRC Masters. It’s my secret dream to return to my roots, perhaps for a yr or two to interrupt away from cross nation and take a look at once more in WRC, outdated masters, legendary drivers.”
WRC Masters is open to all rally vehicles apart from Rally1. Thus far in 2024, race winners embody 2022 champion Mauro Miele, Carl Tundo, Armin Kremer, Jean-Michel Raoux, and fellow Pole Michał Sołowow.
Hołowczyc revealed he had spoken with 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg about racing in WRC Masters, noting Solberg “stated that perhaps he’ll attempt.” Solberg, who retired from full-time racing after 2018, has continued to run numerous rallies lately and gained the Race of Champions’ Nations Cup in 2022; the 49-year-old, who turns 50 in November, can be all for cross-country and needs to run the Dakar Rally sometime. Two-time WRC titlist Marcus Grönholm, who’s 56, was introduced up as a possible Masters competitor as effectively.
“It might be fantastic to race once more with this group of wonderful drivers,” Hołowczyc stated. “I feel that it’s implausible that the FIA created such a category in WRC Masters. It might be stunning if I confirmed up there.
“However in fact, I really like cross-country and Baja Poland. I can’t think about not being right here. Such is the destiny of a driver who has goals and might’t all the time fulfill them.”
